US Powerboating Safe Powerboat Handling

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US Coast Guard & NASBLA Approved

This 16-hour hands-on, on-the-water course is for anyone who wants to learn how to safely operate a small motorboat and improve their boathandling skills on actual boats. The US Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have approved this course and an increasing number of states have recognized it as meeting their requirements for a state boating safety education certificate. These national and state approvals call for the course to include a total of six to eight hours of classroom sessions covering required education topics. Students learn:

In just 2 weekends, our Basic Keelboat Complete course will give a total sailing novice the opportunity to learn all they need to sail on their own, for just $440. This hands-on 24-hour US Sailing course is taught by one of our expert instructors in a 19 foot keelboat with up to 3 students. Combine the course with a 30% off Full or Family membership so that the newly minted skipper will be able to sail at Courageous all season long.

Basic Keelboat Complete (24 Hours)

Click Book Now to buy AND schedule your course. Click Buy Now to purchase, but schedule at a later date. Click Redeem to schedule a course you previously purchased.

When your goal is to become a competent, confident sailor with a solid understanding of the basics, this is the course to take. At the end of the two-weekend class, most students are ready or almost ready to skipper one of our Rhodes 19 keelboats on their own. Your instructor, who will always be in the boat with you and up to two fellow students, will guide you through the sailing fundamentals, combining short chalk talks and extensive on-the-water coaching to help you develop and reinforce new skills. You’ll learn all you need to know to rig and unrig your boat, leave and return to the dock safely, adjust your sails and rudder to make the boat go where you want it to go, and tie some important knots (always a good way to impress your non-sailing friends!).

It’s a lot of work, but by the completion of the course, most students are ready for a Red or Yellow Flag skipper rating , which means they can safely skipper a small keelboat in light to moderate conditions without an instructor. Students who earn a Yellow Flag rating can also take a written test to obtain their US Sailing Basic Keelboat certification, a standard recognized throughout the U.S. and in many other parts of the world.

Basic Keelboat Complete courses take place over two consecutive weekends, Saturday/Sunday/Saturday/Sunday from 10-4:30 each day, with a half hour hour lunch break. A new course starts almost every Saturday.